Independent Health partnering with Zipongo® to make it easier for members to eat well

Buffalo, NY (July 23, 2018)– Independent Health is teaming up with Zipongo®, a San Francisco-based organization, to offer its members a digital food marketplace that will help them select, purchase and prepare healthy foods from home or on-the-go.

Utilizing Zipongo’s nutrition artificial intelligence (AI) and mobile technology, Independent Health members will be able to access recipes and meal plans highly personalized to their tastes, dietary preferences, restrictions and medical needs, including recommendations for quick and healthy meals.

Members will also have access to a comprehensive set of recipe and nutrition information, and other tools including drag-and-drop meal planners, smart grocery lists, and discounts and grocery ordering options on high quality foods at local and regional grocery chains including Tops, Wegmans, Dash’s, Aldi, Trader Joe’s, and Save-A-Lot. Members in any zip code can also order fresh Zipongo meal kits for easy cooking of healthy and tasty meals, made more convenient.

“This is the newest addition to our ever-expanding roster of innovative technology resources and benefits that help our members to conveniently manage – and make the most-educated decisions – about their personal health and wellness,” said Michael W. Cropp, M.D., president and CEO, Independent Health. “By partnering with Zipongo, we continue to make it even more convenient and simpler for our members to incorporate healthy food choices into their lives.”

Jason Langheier, M.D., MPH, CEO and founder of Zipongo (and a Western New York native), said “With online grocery and restaurant delivery just launching in Western New York, it’s an important moment to support Buffalonians as they strive to choose good food to raise strong, healthy families. Independent Health has long gone above and beyond to look out for its members, and is once again doing so, by helping families more easily get high-quality, great tasting and affordable food more conveniently, and free of the pull of food maker advertising.”

Zipongo enables personalization for each participant, beginning with a comprehensive NutriQuiz that covers eating habits, allergies, preferences, and helps monitor progress on their NutriScore. Zipongo also connects with third-party providers like 23andMe to provide insight into the unique, optimal diet for each user.

Dr. Cropp added that chronic disease is a leading contributor to the unsustainable cost of health care, which negatively impacts individuals, families, businesses and the economy here in Western New York and throughout the U.S. “What and how much we eat is a key factor for many chronic diseases, and eating a healthier diet helps prevent and treat the most common of these debilitating conditions. While food is not the sole answer to creating a culture of health, a healthy diet is the foundation for better personal health and a healthier community,” said Dr. Cropp.

Zipongo is the latest resource that Independent Health has made available to its members so they can make the best decisions about their health. Most recently, the company introduced Brook, a digital personal assistant to help people with diabetes and other chronic conditions better manage their health. The company also offers a nutrition benefit that rewards members for buying fresh fruits and vegetables, and an online wellness program, called FitWorks®, to help keep members motivated and on track with their health by offering monthly rewards that can be used for a variety of health and wellness goods or services.

The Zipongo food marketplace will be made available free to all of Independent Health’s commercial individual and group members and self-funded employer groups beginning this month. Members can login into Zipongo via Independent Health.

About Zipongo®Founded in 2011, Zipongo is the leading national provider of Food Benefits Management services for health plans, providers and employers. We offer comprehensive online nutrition services to our members. The goal is to make eating well simple at home, at work and on the go.Zipongo offers digital eating decision support tools, healthy recipes, food ordering and delivery assistance, as well as discounts on healthy foods. Our platform considers user’s health goals, dietary restrictions and food preferences to craft individualized recommendations to help people achieve or maintain optimum health. To learn more, go to www.meetzipongo.com.